Acanthosicyos horridus

Acanthosicyos horridus is an unusual melon that is endemic to the Namib desert. In English it is known as Nara, butter-nuts, or butterpips; in one of the Khoisan languages it is locally called ǃnaras or ǃnara ("!" is pronounced with a click, somewhat like the "tsk" when English people are tutting, tsk-tsk).

Description

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw, cooked, or preserved. It is juicy with a pleasant sweet-acid flavour, grows up to 7cm long, and can weigh up to 900g. Ripe fruits are collected and either buried in soil or left in the sun to soften, then peeled and boiled until the seeds loosen. The pulp is allowed to thicken and turns dark orange; after the seeds are separated, the remaining thick pulp is poured out and dried in the sun. It solidifies within a few days into flat, leathery cakes that can be cut into strips or rolled up for storage. These fruity rolls keep well and can be chewed or added to porridge throughout the year. The seeds can be eaten raw or cooked — roasted or boiled — and stored for later use. Ground into flour, they can be cooked with other dishes. They are a good substitute for almonds and have been exported to bakeries in Cape Town for use in confectionery. The kernel has a soft, butter-like consistency. Seeds contain about 45% oil and are up to 15mm long. An edible oil is also extracted from the seed.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten fresh or preserved. The fruits are buried to soften, then peeled and boiled and the pulp allowed to thicken and then dried in the sun. It is then eaten or added to porridge. The seeds are eaten roasted or boiled. They are also stored for later use. The seeds also yield an edible oil. The pulp of the fruit is used to separate casein from milk after it is heated.

Medicinal Uses

The bitter roots are used medicinally, either chewed or made into a decoction, to treat nausea, stomach-ache, venereal diseases, kidney problems, arteriosclerosis, and chest pains. Fresh fruit is said to relieve stomach pains. The crushed root mixed with fat is applied to heal wounds. Oil from raw or boiled seeds is used as a skin moisturizer and to protect the skin from sunburn.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows on sand in the Namib desert. It can survive in a hot arid, desert climate. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall of 150 mm. It can survive during years without rainfall. It grows in areas with temperatures between 16°C and 21°C. It can grow in very poor soils. It can grow in salty soils. It grows between 25-150 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Namibia*, South Africa, Southern Africa, USA,

Cultivation

It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 15 - 30c, but can tolerate 10 - 40c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 125 - 250mm, but tolerates 75 - 450mm. Plants require a well-drained sandy soil on the poor side and a position in full sun. They can succeed in dry, saline soils, often growing where underground water is available. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5. The leaves have been modified into thorns, which acts to give protection against grazing animals and also to minimize water-loss, making the plant very drought tolerant. A deep-rooting plant, the roots can go down 40 metres into the soil in search of water. A dioecious species, male and female plants must be grown if fruits and seed are required.

Propagation

Seed

Other Uses

The plant can be grown in shifting sand dunes. An oil is obtained from the seed. It is also used in carbon farming.

Production

Plants can live for very long periods. Fruits ripen seasonally. Fruit can be 900 g weight. 1,000 seeds weigh 300g. In Namibia fruit are harvested between November and May.

Other Information

It is an important food in very arid areas. It is cultivated.

Notes

There are 2 Acanthosicyos species. The seeds are very nutritious.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Inara, Mnara, Naia, Nara, Naras, Narasplante, Narram, Narra melon

References (29)

• Arnold, T.H., Wells, M.J. & Wehmeyer, A.S., Khoisan food plants: taxa with potential for future economic exploitation, in Wickens, G.E., Goodin, J.R., and Field, D.V.,(Eds.) 1985, Plants for Arid Lands. Unwin Hyman, London, p 73
• Biocyclopedia Edible Plant Species
• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 5
• Cole, D. et al, 2014, Indigenous Plant Products in Namibia. Venture Publications Windhoek, Namibia. p 21
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 84

More from Cucurbitaceae

Trichosanthes kirilowii subsp. japonica

Ki-karasu-uri

Trichosanthes laeoica f. sicyocarpa

Trichosanthes lepiniana

Indreni

Trichosanthes multiloba

Trichosanthes ovigera

Japanese Snake gourd

Trichosanthes pilosa

Japanese snake gourd